Real Wedding: Emma & Matt

I'm a little green with envy over this wedding. It's the shoes that started it. I'm obsessed with Christian Louboutin, and right there in the first pic is a seriously tasty pair of ivory stacked heels, fresh in their box. Be still my beating heart! Moving on to the happy couple {and mentally walking away from those shoes}, the gorgeous Emma and Matt celebrated their wedding last summer in London. They chose a church wedding, at Our Lady Help of Christians in Blackheath, followed by a fabulous flower-filled reception at historic Eltham Palace. I'm loving their wedding style; from the soft pink colour palette, the vintage car, the traditional morning suits and top hats, it's a quintissentially English affair. Stealworthy details include the Have And To Hold ribbon (from Cox & Cox), the tall glass flower displays {all the better for guests to be able to see each other}, and the cute little individual cakes - somehow so much more of a treat than a slice! Heavenly photographs as ever from the lovely Nikole Ramsay.

The Before the Big Day Bridal Q&A - Emma was kind enough to fill in our bridal questionnaire, aimed at helping other brides with their planning process. Feast your eyes on her answers for helpful hints and tips from someone on the other side of her big day!

What was your thinking behind choosing the venue and the decoration of the reception?
The church was my local parish church growing up and I knew I wanted a Catholic ceremony there. Eltham Palace is an obvious choice in the area. It’s a beautiful place with a stunning mix of art deco and original medieval architecture. The grounds are also extensive and wonderfully kept. In terms of decoration, we didn’t need that much, because the Palace itself is so decorative.

Did you have a theme, colour or motif in mind?
I like soft pinks and my bridesmaids dresses were champagne with soft pink sashes. Also, the groom's and ushers' ties were pink. There was no exact theme, but I wanted a traditional wedding with an element of glamour. In the church, it was very traditional, but I knew I wanted very beautiful music and we had an amazing choir called the Blossom Street Singers.

Who made your wedding outfit, and how did you come to that decision?
My dress was made by Phillipa Lepley (custom made) – it was traditional but was quite fitted, my veil was from Blackburn of Blackheath. My shoes were Christian Louboutin.  I had some simple flower diamante slides in my hair, but I can’t remember where they were from!

What about your husband’s outfit? Where was it from?
Matt hired his outfit from Austin Reed on Regent Street, and I would definitely recommend them.

What type of cake did you go for, and how did you come to that decision?
Our cake was made by Nazan Lewis of Daisy Cakes Bake Shop. It had soft pink flowers on it and had a top tier and then individual cakes for the rest of it.  I had some chocolate and some lemon cakes, but then the top tier was fruit, which we kept it for the christening of our first baby.

Who was your florist? What flowers did you choose, and how did you come to that decision?
We had soft pink roses and then some big displays. On the table, I had very tall vases, because the ceilings were so high – I really liked those. In the church we had ivy wound round the pillars – which was beautiful.

Who was your photographer and how did you choose them?
Nikole Ramsay – she was recommended by another photographer and she was brilliant.

What advice do you have for brides planning their big day?
Try and stay within your budget – it is only one day. Just enjoy the day, whatever happens. If you are calm and forget about the mini details, it really will be the most amazing day of your life. 

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Best Idea Ever

Does your future husband disagree with your wedding choices? Are you having trouble deciding whether his great-aunt makes the wedding list? Fear not! Because I've stumbled across quite possibly the best idea since sliced bread. This website could save your marriage. It's called Couples Spark, and it relies on the wonderful web-community. All you have to do is post your conflict, and sit back and wait for the world's verdict. Recent arguments include 'My boyfriend is still friends with his annoying ex' and 'He lost his wedding ring 3 months ago and we've only been married 6 months'. LOVE it!

BBD Theme: By the Sea-Side

I'm off on holiday on Monday and I'm excited! Don't worry, I'll keep up with the blog, if anything, I'll have more time on my hands to seek out inspirational ideas. In the meantime, my thoughts are winging their way to the sea-side and all the wonderful motifs you could use to theme your wedding by the waves.

Product Credits - {from top left} 1. Beach Grass Cottage, 2. Lollipop Workshop, 3. Buddy & Bean, 4. Iris Jewelry Design {from middle left} 1. Nauti & Co, 2. Rapunzels Gold, 3. Timeless Paper {from bottom left} 1. Night Sky Products, 2. Sewn Natural, 3. Sanskripts, 4. Buddy & Bean

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Real Wedding: Sara & Jared

Rustic charm has got to be one of the best looks for a wedding. And if you're considering it for your big day style, then feast your eyes on this humdinger of a marriage. Sara and Jared celebrated their big day in their home town of San Diego, in a fabulous venue built in 1895. Nothing like a bit of history to add a touch of gravitas to the occasion! Jared's a photographer, so the lovely Sara France who took these pics, was more than a little nervous about doing the honours. But didn't she do a good job! Sara the bride {to avoid confusion!} picked a muted colour palette, with rich golden browns, creams and a soft dove grey; an original choice, which really flattered her colouring. I love Sara's bridemaids' dresses, with their elegant brocade detailing, and the vintage clasps on her bouquet. With a bride this beautiful, there was no need for any veil and statement jewellery, just a simple diamond pendant and ear-rings. A lesson in understated elegance. P.S. Don't miss the ice-cake! I'm not sure why they went for it, but it's certainly an unusual idea!

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Hello and Welcome!

Exciting things are happening at Before the Big Day. We've had a huge influx of new readers and sponsors, and I want to welcome you newbies to our boutique wedding blog. As you know, Before the Big Day is here to inspire you with lots of fabulous real weddings and wedding theme ideas, to make your big day stand out from the crowd. But we're also really keen to start a bridal community, where you can talk to other brides about their latest obsession with pompoms, or giant balloons, or corsetry, or the agony of choosing your first dance. I've had so many brides come up to me and say things like, 'I can't stop thinking about the chair covers at my wedding, am I normal?'. The answer is YES, you are normal, even if your husband-to-be thinks you're mad, and your girlfriends glaze over with boredom. So my plan is to create a space where brides can stick together, and help each other out, and thanks to the wonderful world of Facebook, I now have a Before the Big Day Page. This is open to everyone - it's a place where you can post messages and pictures and advice, and share enthusiastic wedding obsessiveness. All you have to do is click here, and Like!

{Gorgeous cards from Sparrow Nest Script}

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An Amazing Offer

There's something hugely appealing about jewellery inspired by nature. Maybe its because flowers themselves are so ephemeral, as is the glint of sunlight on a bee's fast-flickering wing. Designer of the Year 2008, Alex Monroe, exquisitely captures the essence of the British country garden with his gorgeous pieces, and he's offering an amazing 10% off to all readers of Before the Big Day. All you need to do is type in Big Day at the online check out. Perfect for presents for your bridesmaids.

Real Wedding - Vicky & Tom

Christmas couldn't seem further away, but summer is key planning time for winter brides, so here's a gorgeous chilly wedding for their inspiration-delectation. Winter weddings have a special feeling to them. The twinkling fairy lights, the snug atmosphere, and if you are really lucky, a light covering of snowflakes! Vicky and Tom celebrated their wedding earlier this year, on a stunning snowy but sunny day, which made for the most fabulous pictures. Vicky looks like an ice-princess in her jewel-studded gown and cosy snug, and I love how the red roses of her bouquet stands out against the white. Meanwhile, Tom's berry buttonhole looks seriously dapper, and perfectly matches the lining of his suit. The happy couple chose Windsor Guildhall for their ceremony, followed by an intimate reception in the River House Restaurant. From start to finish it looks like the most romantic of days, beautifully pictured by Segerius Bruce.

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Pretty Romantic

Elegant, feminine, whimsical and very pretty, I've fallen truly, madly, deeply for Fleur Avenue. Designed by Brenda in her Singapore studio, these pieces capture the essence of romance, making them perfect for a wedding. My particular favourite is the key necklace, but I also love the feather comb as a chic look for your bridesmaids.

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